When tennis fans learned that their idol, multiple Grand Slam winner Bjorn Borg, might be about to retire from the professional game, at the age of only 26. 

Why did the Swedish star, whose young female fanbase were sometimes called the ‘Borgasm’ by the tabloids, rest his racket at the height of his powers? It turns out that a multitude of factors, from burnout to death threats, played a part in Borg’s decision, which he’d been mulling for a couple of years. 

In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly uncover how the ‘Ice Borg’ kept control of his emotions on court; consider whether a rule change at major competitions contributed to him stepping down; and reveal why John McEnroe and Borg continue to have an, um, ‘intimate’ relationship… 

Further Reading:

• ‘Borg Skips Three Events’ (The New York Times, 1983): https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/22/sports/borg-skips-three-events.html

• ‘Borg Working Out of His Troubled Retirement’ (Los Angeles Times, 1989):

https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-02-21-sp-186-story.html

• ‘1981 Wimbledon Men's Singles Final: Bjorn Borg vs John McEnroe’ (Wimbledon, 1981): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ykvk6uJkMrY

This episode first premiered in 2022, for members of 🌴CLUB RETROSPECTORS🌴 - where you can also DITCH THE ADS and get weekly bonus bits, unlock over 70 bits of extra content and support our independent podcast. Join now via Apple Podcasts or Patreon. Thanks!

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The Retrospectors are Olly Mann, Rebecca Messina & Arion McNicoll, with Matt Hill.

Theme Music: Pass The Peas. Announcer: Bob Ravelli. Graphic Design: Terry Saunders. Edit Producer: Ollie Peart.

Copyright: Rethink Audio / Olly Mann 2023.

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